Broken Hearts
by mer007
Summary: Just as Kenshin and Kaoru's romance builds up a mysterious stranger appears and threatens to ruin it all! As Kenshin struggles with the darkness of his past, Kaoru is forced to put her heart on hold!
1. Sunny Day Smiles

Broken Hearts  
Ch.1  
Sunny Day Smiles  
  
"Hello?!" Sano said waving his hand in front of Kaoru's dazed face. "Hello? Can you pass the rice over here Missy?!"  
  
"Oh!" Kaoru said suddenly awakening from a daydream in which she had been absent mindedly staring at Kenshin's gi. Kenshin had been trying to ignore this fact for as long as possible but had ended up shifting uncomfortably every few minutes. Kaoru picked up Sano's bowl and gave him another serving of steaming rice.  
  
Sano greedily shoveled it into his mouth and took a drink from his cup like it would disappear if he ate it too slow. "You must be very hungry today Sano! That's a lot of food, even for you!" Kenshin said in his normally joyous voice, quite glad that Kaoru's gaze had slipped out towards the window.  
  
"How can you eat this stuff?!" Yahiko exclaimed in complaint as he gobbled it down just as fast.  
  
"Hey!" Kaoru yelled at him waking from another daze. "I work my butt off to feed you scoundrels and this is how you repay me?! By insulting me?!"  
  
"What would an ugly girl like you know about cooking?!" Yahiko added with a smirk.  
  
Just as Kaoru was going to whack him on the head with something Kenshin interrupted with a smile, "I think Miss Kaoru's food is quite good, that I do!"  
  
The stick that hovered dangerously over Yahiko's head suddenly dropped as a Kaoru's face surprisingly blushed. "Ouch!" Yahiko yelled as he grabbed his head in pain.  
  
Kenshin quite surprised and Kaoru's reaction became worried. "Are you okay Miss Kaoru?"  
  
"Is she okay?! What about me?! I'm the one that got knocked on the head!"  
  
Sano laughed as he finished his last bowl of rice. "You think you would have learned to stop calling her ugly by now, wouldn't you Yahiko?!"  
  
For a while Kaoru didn't respond to Kenshin's question, but then she suddenly stood up and said hastily, "I'm not feeling too well, and I've got a lot of chores to get to, so please excuse me."  
  
"Huh?" Kenshin said to himself quite confused as to her behavior.  
  
"What was that all about?!" Sano asked.  
  
"What about my lessons for today?" Yahiko added quite too late for a response.  
  
"What chores? All I've seen that woman do all week is daydream!" Sano added as he got up to leave.  
  
"Hmm?" Kenshin sighed as he stood up. 'Miss Kaoru has been acting very strange lately.' He thought to himself. 'What ever could be wrong?'  
  
Yahiko found himself all alone with a table full of dirty dishes. "Hey! ...I'm not cleaning these up!...Dang it!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Kenshin was busily humming away as he scrubbed a kimono in the wash bucket in the back yard. It had been a few hours since Kaoru's little drama and the sun was beginning to sink towards the western edge of the sky. The evening birds sung a similar tune as all became quiet all around the dojo.  
  
"Whatever could be the matter with Miss Kaoru?" he thought aloud as he scrubbed a mud stain on Kaoru's garment. He laughed as he remembered how she had carelessly tripped into the mud puddle yesterday, and had accidentally brought him down with her, as he tried to help her up.  
  
"You should watch where you're going Miss Kaoru, that you should." He had said with a quiet laugh as he put out a hand to help her up. "Whoops!" he said as his sandal slipped on a slick stone.  
  
"Now you're just as muddy as I am!" Kaoru had said with a laugh as they sat dripping in the wet street.  
  
"Yes but I'm afraid your new kimono is all muddy now!" Kenshin said with a sigh, it would be hard work cleaning this one.  
  
"Oh no!" she had said standing up suddenly.  
  
"Don't worry Miss Kaoru!" he said as he picked himself up. "These hands are not only good for sword fighting, that they are!"  
  
Kenshin laughed as he remembered the smile that reappeared on her face. He had been finding it hard not to smile recently. Her strange behavior had a certain appeal to it. She had been acting all day-dreamy since he got back to Tokyo. She would be so out of it to have went out for an hour to the market and come home having forgotten what she was doing. The thought of this would cause a little grin to appear on his face, like the sun had finally peeked through the clouds after a long rainy day.  
  
But his pleasant thoughts were suddenly interrupted, "Where's Kaoru?" Yahiko asked, "I haven't seen her since she wandered off after lunch."  
  
His smile disappeared, "What? I haven't seen her all day either!"  
  
"Could she have gone to the market and forgotten herself again?" Yahiko asked with jest.  
  
"I don't think so..." Kenshin said as he listened intensely for some clue of her presence.  
  
Suddenly there came a scream of a woman's voice. Kenshin tensed and dropped Kaoru's kimono in the grass. In a flash he was gone, and off in the direction of the scream his hand rested on his sword.  
  
The sun began to sink down beyond the horizon as he ran along the muddy road. He turned the bend just as man came out of his door to light his evening lamp. A scream came again and Kenshin was sure this time.  
  
"Kenshin! Help!" Miss Kaoru screamed.  
  
Kenshin rounded another corner and reached a dark alleyway. "Kenshin!" Kaoru managed to scream again as she saw him. A man in a black gi, hakama, and mask covering his large face was holding Kaoru by the arm a long blade at her throat. "One wrong move Battousai and your girl shall say good-bye to her beautiful head."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
... so what did you think? ...pls tell me. 


	2. Junpei

Broken Hearts  
Ch.2  
Junpei  
  
"What do you want with Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin yelled angrily at the man as he spied the bloody corpse of a man, his wife, and a young boy.  
  
"I want nothing to do with your woman Kenshin Himura, no more than I wanted to do with these poor fools." the cruel man sneered as he pointed to the slain family about the ground.  
  
"Who are you, and what do you want?" Kenshin repeated.  
  
"Do you not know me brother?" the man questioned.  
  
A confused expression came over Kenshin's face, "I have no brothers! My family died when I was a boy. If you thought you knew me you would know that."  
  
"I course I know that, but we are not brother's in that sense." The man paused and looked down at the bodies on the ground, yet not weakening his grip on Kaoru. "Look at them...weak and defenseless, they did not deserve to live and breath, yet they litter our streets. But now they serve a purpose, as meat for the rats and dogs..."  
  
Kenshin looked at him in disgust as the man trailed off for a moment. "I see that I've upset you." the man continued, "But listen well to what I say Kenshin...we are very much the same. I, too, have slain hundreds. I spent my life fighting for a better nation. But in the end it didn't matter who won or who lost, or which government was restored or not. I loved the killing. The way the blood splattered like paint on a canvas—"  
  
"I don't know who you are or what you want but keep Miss Kaoru out of this!" Kenshin interrupted no longer able to hold back his impatience.  
  
Kaoru screamed as the man pulled the blade into her neck, "Learn one thing quick Kenshin, I do not like to be interrupted!"  
  
Kenshin's fists clenched as he saw her wince in pain. She had to be getting dizzy by now for she had lost so much blood that her blue kimono now looked a red-purple, and she had been standing for quite some time on her tip- toes, for the man was rather tall.  
  
"Since this pathetic girl is bleeding to death in my arms I must get to the point Kenshin....No matter how hard I tried I never could be quite as good as you. No you were too quick, you killed so many, I could never be as strong as the Battousai!" he said angrily, "I have traveled the world searching for the superior killing method, but none have compared to the Hiten Misurugi! Not even the fire power of the west could satisfy my blood thirst!"  
  
At this moment he finally threw Kaoru to the ground, "Only by your death, Shinta, will my thirst be quenched!"  
  
Kenshin's eyes widened as the man used the name he was given by his parents. Who was this man? The man finally took off his mask as he wiped the blood from his blade and took his stance. "My name is Junpei Sensei and by my hand will the greatest man die!"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Pls tell me what you think... 


	3. Bloodshed

Broken Hearts  
Ch.3  
Bloodshed  
  
Junpei's dark blue eyes stared into Kenshin's face, nearly piercing him with his gaze as he studied his expression. After a long moment of silence he commented with a grin, "I can see it in your eyes, there's a weakness that has grown in you...." he trailed off but waited for a response.  
  
Kenshin was very confused, and this only enraged him. His fists clenched as he strained his memory to remember the face of this cruel man. Junpei was very tall, and his black clothes matched his jet black hair. The man was clearly Japanese but he had a slight European accent as if he spent a lot of time in a foreign country, and he had a sophisticated way of carrying himself.  
  
"I can see your confusion..." Junpei said as Kenshin clenched his teeth, "We were so young then, we never wanted to know who they were...we just killed who we were told. ...I think we only met once...on a rainy winter day..."  
  
"I don't think you understand Mister Junpei, I don't care who you are. I left my past behind me. I can never repay for the lives I took, but all I can do is spend what life I have helping others. You, Mister Junpei, have killed innocent people as if it was nothing! Most of all you have hurt Miss Kaoru." Kenshin said getting louder and angrier with each word, "As long as I have breath in my lungs I cannot let you take the life of the helpless, no matter the reason!"  
  
"Yes it is true Kenshin, you have changed much since I knew you, but you can't cover up the killer that lives within you! I see it hiding deep in your heart, the pain, the hate it's struggling to get out, it's longing for revenge!" Junpei eyes widened insanely with his last line "Let it out Kenshin! Let the bloodshed take away the pain!"  
  
Without warning Kenshin lunged towards Junpei. Thousands of pictures blazed through his mind. As he took out his sword they threatened to take him over. In his anger didn't even bother to call out his attack, he just yelled out one long "Nothing can take away the pain!!"  
  
Junpei easily dodged this and flashed to the other side of the alley and with a sad laugh said, "I really expected better of you Battousai! That was a very foolish approach; your concentration is off, you let your anger get the best of you. Being such an excellent fighter as yourself I would have expected for a properly judged attack. Could this woman have totally destroyed you Kenshin?" He trailed off as he pondered Kenshin's actions.  
  
"Kenshin!" Kaoru sputtered as she held her bleeding neck. "Kenshin..."  
  
Kenshin glanced behind him to see the tears on her face. It was as if a spear had pierced his heart. For the first time in Kenshin's life he had hesitated. 'Why?' he asked himself, 'What's wrong with me?'  
  
He looked up at Junpei. "It's so sad to see a man give up all he has for a worthless woman. How much I would have liked to kill you tonight!" Junpei said sadly, "But I'm afraid this just won't do!" In an instant he was gone.  
  
"Miss Kaoru!" Kenshin said strangely as he turned to her. He scooped her head up in his lap and ripped a piece of his gi to wrap around her neck.  
  
Kaoru looked up into his eyes and saw an emotion she had never seen in his face before. It wasn't anger, or sadness, but pure fear, fear she could see was new to him. But it wasn't new to him, but he had only felt it once; when in that instant he knew he had slain his first love, Tomoe. Kaoru lifted her hand weakly to his face but he interrupted her, "Please stay still Miss. Kaoru." He looked up across the alley, "Yahiko get help!"  
  
"Kenshin...I...I'm sorry..." Kaoru said with one last breath.  
  
"Sorry for what Miss Kaoru?!" he said as he brushed her midnight black hair from her face as her eyes closed, "What for..."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	4. Heartbreak

Broken Hearts  
Ch.4  
Heartbreak  
  
"Get Megumi!" Kenshin yelled as he finally made it back to the dojo with Kaoru in his arms.  
  
"I'm here Kenshin!" he heard her voice behind her, a look of surprise filled her face as she saw Kaoru's condition, "What happened?!"  
  
But it was useless all Kenshin could do was set her on the floor, he couldn't manage to get a word out of his mouth, so instead Yahiko told what he knew. "Kenshin ran off when he heard her scream! I couldn't find them for the longest time. A man named Junpei Sensei was holding Kaoru captive; he nearly let her bleed to death before he left!"  
  
"He just left?" Megumi asked as she worked quickly to bandage Kaoru.  
  
"It was all a game to him!" Kenshin spat out angrily. "He killed those people just to have me come run and find him! He hurt Miss Kaoru to get me angry and he's playing with me now by disappearing!"  
  
"But what does he want?" Yahiko asked not understanding.  
  
Kenshin could not respond, for he had no sure answer. He looked gravely down at Kaoru and strained his mind once again to remember the man's face. Where had he seen this man before? Why was he playing with him?  
  
After a few minutes Megumi said quietly, "I'm afraid there's nothing else I can do. It's hard to stop the bleeding, while allowing her to breath, we just have to hope she hasn't lost too much." she slowly stood up, "I'll give you a moment...I have to get some more bandages...Yahiko you go get some hot water!"  
  
For a moment Kenshin was in an awkward position, he didn't want to leave Miss Kaoru alone, but yet he did not wish to stay and see her in such a condition. He thought his foolishness was the cause of all this, certainly it had to be! He looked down at her pale hand resting on the ground. It was covered in blood.  
  
He slowly reached down a placed his hand on it, somehow hoping that by doing this he could help her. Like by merely warming her hand, she could breath stronger. Her chest slowly, as if with great difficulty, moved up and down. Her small mouth let out a breath with ease and pulled in a breath with care.  
  
He watched her like this for quite a long time, his hand eventually wrapping around hers. He could barely breathe as he watched her beauty. And with her every struggling breath his eyes watered a little more. Till after a few minutes a few tears fell upon her hand.  
  
Suddenly Megumi returned with Yahiko and he backed away, as if he had merely been staring at her the whole time. And, feeling that he was of no use, he stood up and left the room and wandered out into the hall, not sure of where to go.  
  
three days later  
  
It was once again a familiar scene, Kenshin busy in the back yard scrubbing away at the persistent stains on the clothes and humming away merrily. Kenshin, at that particular time, was having trouble remembering the tune to a certain song, and was tripping over it terribly, when a shadow cast over him.  
  
"Kenshin I told you that you can just forget about that old stain!" Kaoru's abnormally quiet voice said.  
  
"Why Miss Kaoru I told you the other day that I would clean this thing like new, and I intend to keep my promise, that I do!" he said looking up at her and almost as a side note he said, "And I believe you're not quite well yet to be wandering about the dojo, that I do!"  
  
"I think I should be the judge of when I'm feeling well!" Kaoru said viciously.  
  
"Now there's the old Miss Kaoru!" Kenshin laughed as he stood up.  
  
For a moment there was an awkward silence as they looked at each other. Kaoru smiled and turned her head, trying to ignore the fact that there was nothing to say. Then finally when she could stand it no longer she burst out, "Who was that man?!"  
  
A grim expression came over his face, and Kaoru almost regretted asking but she had to know. Kenshin finally said, "He is a man from my past, we fought together in the war, but I saw him only once. His desire to kill led me to desert him in his time of need. It was because of me he suffers."  
  
There was another long moment of silence and Kaoru realized he didn't really wish to speak of the man. She tried desperately to come up with something to say next but nothing came to her. Just as she was about to turn away and leave Kenshin asked "What were you sorry about the other night?"  
  
"Hmm?" Kaoru said trying to remember what he could be talking about. She couldn't remember much from that night.  
  
"When Junpei finally left and I ran to you...you were trying to tell me you were sorry. But you went unconscious before you told me what for, that you did."  
  
Kaoru's faced blushed strangely. "I...I was just sorry that I distracted you. I endangered your life...I'm so sorry Kenshin."  
  
"There's no need to apologize Miss Kaoru..." he trailed off staring into space.  
  
"Are you okay Kenshin?"  
  
"Yes, Miss Kaoru, that is...I'm not quite sure that's all."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You've just been acting so strange recently, that you have."  
  
Her face shown a deeper red, "Well...it's just what you said the other night...before you attacked him...that nothing can take away the pain...it was just so sad...I just was sorry that there was nothing I could do to help."  
  
Kenshin blushed at this. He couldn't possibly tell her that she made him feel better. He wanted to tell her that her smile took away every tear he had ever shed, how her voice took away the pain of each memory. But all he could get out was "It's okay."  
  
The third moment of silence was all that Kaoru could take. She quickly turned to leave with a spin. But before she had turned all the way around her hand was caught in Kenshin's grip. Without even thinking he had grabbed it, not wanting her to leave on such an awkward note.  
  
Her face turned even redder as she looked down at his hand. Kenshin turned dizzy with embarrassment. "I'm sorry Kaoru...I mean Miss Kaoru...I just wanted to know if you really were feeling well enough to be up and around, that I did."  
  
There hands slowly parted as Kaoru responded with a quiet whisper, "Yes Kenshin...I'm fine...thank you for..." But she could bare it no longer and she turned away tears in her eyes.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	5. Two Hearts

Broken Hearts  
Ch. 5  
Two Hearts  
  
"Are you okay Kenshin?" Sano asked as he joined him on the porch licking the last bits of supper off his lips.  
  
After a moment Kenshin broke his dreamy gaze out into the back yard and looked into Sano's eyes, "That Junpei character is still out there Sano. He's waiting out there to attack...I'm afraid he'll attack Miss Kaoru again, that I am. But next time he won't let her live."  
  
"I know that he's an emotionless killer Kenshin, but what makes you think that he'll kill her. She's his token...to getting you...it'd just be stupid for him to kill her." Sano said not understanding Kenshin's worries, Kenshin was hardly one to worry anyway.  
  
"There was something different this time Sano. For the first time in my life I hesitated. I revealed my weakness...a weakness I didn't even know I had....not until I saw Miss Kaoru...bleeding..." he turned with a sigh and looked into the sunset.  
  
"Hmmm...." was all that Sano managed to get out. He was beginning to get the picture but he wasn't sure exactly how to help.  
  
Kaoru sat up with a yawn, a dreamy smile on her face. Pleasant dreams had caused her to sleep well. They were the kind of dreams that leave you happy even though you couldn't remember a thing about them. She folded her blankets and brushed out her long silky hair with care. She spent an unusual amount time fixing the bow in her hair and pressing the small wrinkles of her kimono.  
  
When she was finally finished nearly an hour later she went down to the kitchen. Yahiko was sitting by the table with an angry look on his face, "Food...need food."  
  
As soon as she walked into the kitchen Yahiko and Sano, who had just wandered into the dojo, said in unison, "What's for breakfast?"  
  
"I thought you two didn't like my food?" Kaoru said annoyed.  
  
"Well Kenshin's gone so we don't have anyone else to beg from!" Sano said with a laugh.  
  
"What?! Where did he go?" Kaoru nearly screamed.  
  
"He went to find that Junpei guy last night." Sano said.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"He told me to tell you not to worry. He said that he wants you to wait here for him."  
  
"Which way did he go?!" Kaoru said ignoring him.  
  
"He promised he'd be back, don't you trust him?"  
  
"WHICH WAY DID HE GO?!"  
  
"Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you. There's nothing you can do."  
  
"FINE!! If you won't tell me then I'll find him on my own!" she screamed as she turned to run out of the kitchen.  
  
But Sano grabbed her arm before she got even a step further. "There's nothing you can do Kaoru, he's got to do this on his own!"  
  
Tears began to stream down her face. "I can...I can...I..." she struggled to say between sobs. Sano was forced to let her free as she fell to her knees in a mess of tears. Finally she spit out, "I can't let him kill Junpei...I can't let him kill again!"  
  
All was silent, except for Kaoru's quiet sobs and the morning birds outside. Sano stood stiff starring down at her on the floor. Yahiko starred out the window, his eyes filled with fear. It's hard for anyone to watch a woman cry. Sano suddenly looked up with eyes wide.  
  
Kenshin stood in the doorway leaning slightly on the wall. His breath was hard and heavy. Cold sweet dripped down his face as his sword slipped from his hand. Without even a second thought Kaoru was on her feet and ran into his arms.  
  
Kenshin nearly toppled over as she put her arms around his chest. As soon as he had gain his balance again he said with a whisper, "Don't cry Miss Kaoru...please don't cry."  
  
"I'm sorry Kenshin." Kaoru said quietly just realizing that she was holding him. She wiped the tears from her face and looked into his eyes.  
  
For the first time she notice the pool of blood on the floor, and the blood on his and her chest and her mouth fell open in surprise. Kenshin winced in pain a slipped slowly to his knees. Kaoru collapsed to her knees as well as new tears filled her eyes.  
  
"Kenshin what happened?" she begged of him to answer but he only slipped closer to the floor. After a few moments his head fell in her lap and his blood began to stain her dress. His lips were moving but there came no sound.  
  
"What is it Kenshin?" Kaoru said barely able to breathe because of fear. She lean her head down close to his and listened intently.  
  
"I...I..." Kenshin sputtered softly.  
  
"Yes Kenshin?!" she encouraged quietly.  
  
His eyes shifted dizzily and they closed for a moment. Kaoru didn't even dare to breath just to hear his words as he reached his hand up to her face. A smile appeared as he looked up at her, "You're so beautiful Miss Kaoru..." his eyes closed tiredly and his hand fell to the floor.  
  
"KENSHIN!" Kaoru screamed.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	6. Love is a Miracle

Broken Hearts  
Ch. 6  
Love is a Miracle  
  
"KENSHIN!" Kaoru screamed again tears streaming down her soft cheeks.  
  
Sano turned to Yahiko and yelled to him, "Get help Yahiko, don't just sit there!" Sano himself turned and searched franticly around the kitchen for something to wrap around Kenshin's wounds. But his panicking got him nowhere.  
  
"Kenshin..." Kaoru whispered softly as she wrapped his stomach tightly in a shred of her kimono. Kaoru try desperately to calm herself, "Kenshin you're going to be okay." She slowly pulled the large bow from her hair and used it to wipe the cold sweet from his forehead.  
  
"Kenshin what the hell happened out there?" Sano asked angrily his face full of rage. "Why the hell did I listen to you?! I should followed your short little ass!! I should have known that you'd just get yourself killed!"  
  
"He's not dead!" Kaoru screamed up at Sano.  
  
"She's right!" said Megumi who had just appeared at Kenshin's side and could see his chest start to move up and down slowly. "Kaoru just let him lay flat, you Yahiko hand me some clean bandages, Sano you just move."  
  
"Figures that I wouldn't be any use." Sano mumbled to himself angrily.  
  
"Yahiko hurry we don't have much time!" Megumi yelled franticly "Kaoru you need to move out of the way, just let him be."  
  
"I'm not leaving him!" she said not even thinking.  
  
For a moment Megumi stared at her. Then as if she finally remembered what she was doing she started to clean and wrap his wounds, working around Kaoru who held his head in her lap. Kaoru barely dared to blink for fear of him disappearing while she wasn't looking.  
  
After about fifteen minutes Megumi finally announced "The bleeding's stopped. But somehow he's been poisoned. It's probably the reason he's beat up so bad. I'm not quite sure what it is but it seems to have slowed his breathing and caused dizziness and fainting. His wounds have only worsened the affect."  
  
"Could that Junpei guy have done this?" Yahiko asked curiously.  
  
"No." Kaoru said. "He wanted to kill him himself."  
  
"Kaoru's right, he was probably attacked by a gang of people."  
  
"Did someone plan it like that?" Sano interjected.  
  
"Looks that way..." Megumi said looking back down at a sleeping Kenshin.  
  
"Well what can we do about the poison?" Kaoru asked with desperation.  
  
"That's the problem...the symptoms are common in many different poisons, it could be one of at least five or six different mixtures. The best way to find out which one is to try and guess how he came into contact with it."  
  
"But how exactly do we find that out?" Sano asked hurriedly.  
  
"Well we can start by having you and Yahiko going around and asking some questions. You should be careful too, whoever did this meant it. I'll go and try mixing some medicines, and Kaoru you stay here with him. If he wakes up DO NOT let him get up!"  
  
"Okay!" they all said at the same time.  
  
Within a few seconds Kaoru was left alone in silence with Kenshin. Not even the birds sang outside the window, or if they did Kaoru could not hear them. All she could hear was her heart beating like a drum and the occasional painful moan from Kenshin. She could barely even hear him breathe for it was so slow and soft.  
  
"Kenshin you've got to stop doing this to me." She whispered on her breath. "You can't possibly protect everyone." A single tear streamed down her face and fell onto Kenshin before she could catch herself.  
  
Kenshin blinked and opened his eyes. "Are you crying Miss Kaoru?"  
  
"Kenshin!" Kaoru nearly screamed with joy.  
  
Startled Kenshin jumped and he winced with pain. "Ouch..."  
  
"Don't move Kenshin...Megumi, Sano and Yahiko will be back soon. Just please wait till they get here."  
  
"You're crying..." Kenshin said looking up at her tear stained face. "Please don't cry Miss Kaoru."  
  
"Why do you keep saying that?"  
  
"Because ..." he said grabbing a fold of her kimono and pulling it up to her face and wiping away her tears with a comforting smile. "Your tears make such a mess of your pretty face, that they do."  
  
Kaoru's breath was taken away by his words. She didn't know for sure exactly what he meant, if he meant it at all or not, but it only made her tear up more. But after a moment he got too tired to keep his eyes open and his hand slipped down.  
  
She stared silently at him sleeping for a long time. He looked so strange when he was asleep, so calm. She got the strangest feeling, the same one when he had grabbed her hand the other day, the same rush of excitement that made her heart beat like a hummingbird's wings. She looked down at his hand, it was dirty and stained with blood, but underneath that it looked so comforting, like his beautiful eyes.  
  
She reached out her hand and put it in his. She held it gently and delicately in her lap. She held it in hopes of somehow comforting him. "I wish that I could take the pain away Kenshin..." she looked down as she shifted "I wish I could tell you all the pain you've taken away from me."  
  
"I think that I've got it!" Megumi said as she ran into the room with Sano and Yahiko close behind her.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
NOTICE: to find out about upcoming chapters, stories and sequels check out my bio page. I posted a schedule of what I'm working on each day. This bio page is updated almost every day. 


	7. One Heart

Broken Hearts  
Ch.7  
One Heart  
  
Kaoru stood solemnly in the doorway looking out towards the golden sunset, the evening breeze blowing gently through her smooth black hair. But the beauty she was watching wasn't the setting sun, the gentle summer breeze in the blooming trees or the joyous songs of the many birds flying around the backyard of the dojo, but instead she stood quite still staring at Kenshin sitting lazily on the grass someway off.  
  
Kenshin himself was looking off into the sky, daydreams covering his eyes like cloudy blindness. He was in such a trance that he could barely even feel the soreness of his wounds. It had been two days since he was attacked but still he hadn't spoke since the moment he awoke. All Kaoru could think was that something very horrible had happened.  
  
But Kenshin's silence was not cold and cruel. When, on many occasions, Kaoru had sat down beside him he would look to her with a smile, a gentle but sad smile, and he would try to speak in whisper, but it seemed that the words would just get lost somewhere in his throat.  
  
A tears fell, slowly at first but then like rain, down Kaoru's cheeks as she watched him. Why wasn't he speaking to her? He had spoken once to Megumi, he could never avoid being polite. "Thank you Megumi. You truly are an excellent doctor, that you are." She remembered him whisper to her as he got up for the first time.  
  
"I can't stand this any longer!" Kaoru suddenly burst out.  
  
Kenshin nearly jumped to his feet for surprise of the sudden noise. The birds among the grass flew up like a storm as Kaoru crossed the lawn. Kenshin struggled to stand up as she neared him. His expression, she could see now, was filled with frustration and sorrow.  
  
She slowed her pace, she nearly decided to turn away but as she couldn't make herself turn around. "Here...don't bother to get up Kenshin..."  
  
But it was too late his was already on his feet. "Yes Miss Kaoru?"  
  
Kaoru was startled to hear his voice. "Are you....okay?" By Kenshin's expression it looked as if he didn't understand. "You...well..." she couldn't stop the tears from falling as she spoke "I can't stand you not speaking to me!!"  
  
A weak smile appeared on his face. His eyes searched hers, as if wondering what to say. A look of confusion filled Kaoru's face, something had to be terribly wrong. Kaoru took hold of his hand, almost as if she had no control of herself. "Please tell me what you're thinking Kenshin...how else can I know how to ... help you."  
  
"Kaoru..." Kenshin said placing a gentle hand on her cheek, a wide smile spread across his face. "You've always been so good to me that you have."  
  
Kaoru could feel her heart beating loudly in her chest. 'His eyes...they're so beautiful.' she thought to herself. 'I want to hold him! I want to be with him! I want this moment to last forever!'  
  
"You deserve to know why...why I must go—"Kenshin said before Kaoru interrupted him.  
  
"Go! No Kenshin please don't leave!" she said as the pounding in her heart filled with pain.  
  
Kenshin only looked deeper into her eyes, and his hand began to shake slightly as he held it to her face. "Kaoru..." his voice sounded so strange when he called her that "Kaoru there's so much stuff in my past that you don't know of. There's so much pain, and darkness that I couldn't possibly expect you to deal with it all, that I do."  
  
Kaoru was silent as she stared into his eyes. She loved the feeling of his hand touching her face, she loved the way he looked at her, as if she was a precious jewel, she didn't want it to ever end. "No Kenshin..." she said as more tears fell down her cheeks "Kenshin please!"  
  
"Kaoru..." he said wiping her face with care "Please don't cry...it ...it makes this so much harder..."  
  
But she could stand it no longer. Kaoru placed her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck and wept. "You can't do this to me again Kenshin! I don't think I can make it without you here!"  
  
Kenshin put his arms around her awkwardly at first. He took at deep breath and took in the sweet smell of her hair. He didn't want to leave, no matter what happened to him. But he couldn't stand to see her die, and she surely would if he didn't leave. A single silver stream of tears fell from his eye and fell onto her soft hair.  
  
Kaoru looked up to him, see was surprised to see him suppressing the tears that threatened to take him over. She reached up her hand and wiped the tears from his scared face. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest, she was taken over by a wonderful excitement.  
  
Her heart was beating faster and faster, she could barely stand the noise in her ears. She closed her eyes and placed her head in his chest again. She let out a nervous sigh as she listened to Kenshin's heart, it beat fast like hers.  
  
"Kaoru?" Kenshin whispered.  
  
"Yes?" she said as she looked up at him. But she was taken by surprise when his lips touched hers. Everything around her disappeared, she could hear nothing but his and her heart beating like one. A tear fell down her cheek, not of joy but not of sorrow, as she came to the realization that this could be the last time she would see Kenshin.  
  
When they opened they're eyes Kenshin took her in his arms and held her tightly and in a whisper said, "I'd give anything to hold you like this forever, that I would."  
  
By this time the sun had long set and the full moon was high in the sky. The songs of the evening birds and the sound of music came from somewhere in the distance as they stood in the starlight.  
  
To Kaoru it seemed only seconds but after some time Kenshin let her go and turned to leave. But before he disappeared into the shadows he said "I'll come back Kaoru, that I will." And he was gone. Kaoru fell to the ground and wept.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Can't wait for more? Well check out my schedule on my bio page to find out when the next chapter will be up!! And if you'd like to check out any of my other stories you can find out about them as well in the same place! 


	8. A Follower

Broken Hearts

Ch.8

A Follower

"Kenshin come back!" Kaoru screamed out into the darkness. "Kenshin you don't need to do this! Please don't leave me…don't leave me alone!"

"You're not alone Kaoru…" Sano said comfortingly as he placed a hand on her shoulder and looked off into the darkness in which Kenshin had disappeared.

"He's trying to protect me, but he's only going to get himself killed!" Kaoru said speaking to him over her shoulder angrily. "Who ever that man is…that Junpei man…he's going to kill Kenshin!"

"He said he'd be back didn't he?" Yahiko asked quietly.

Kaoru turned to look at him, tears on her face, "How could a boy understand?! Yahiko how could you possibly understand what going on here?!" she turned away from him and in a whisper said, "How…when I don't?"

"So how's Kaoru doing today?" Sano asked as he searched the kitchen, in hopes of finding something worth stuffing in his mouth.

"I don't know I haven't seen her since last night." Yahiko said looking up from his plate.

"Is she still in her room?" Sano asked suddenly.

"I don't think so I heard her moving around early this morning." Yahiko said seeming not to care.

"I hope she's making something to eat…I'm starving."

"Do you think I'd be eating this if she was?" he said pointing to his bowl of cold rice.

"Dang that woman!" Sano said angrily as he rubbed his growling stomach.

Suddenly a burst of wind blew through the open window. "Wow that's rather odd." Yahiko said although he wasn't really paying attention. But what neither of them noticed was that it had not only rustled their hair but blown a small piece of paper out the window. And not just any piece of paper. For scribbled on it hastily was this note:

_Sano and Yahiko,_

_I've gone to find Kenshin. There's nothing you can say or do to make me change my mind. I must find him before he gets to Junpei. Please don't follow me, loosing you two as well would break my heart._

_Kaoru_

Meanwhile Kaoru had already made her way down the dusty dirt road about four miles. Her pace had started out quick but steady at sunrise but she now had grown weary of walking for nearly all morning. What wearied her more was her worrying and fretting over Kenshin. Something in her heart told her she could not let Kenshin go on alone this time, something about this Junpei character didn't seem right.

By now she was spending so much time worrying over this that she didn't notice that she came to a fork in the road. Kaoru, instead of thinking clearly that he would probably take the off beaten path to the left instead of taking the main road towards Tokyo to the right went ahead and took the main road. But by the time she had finally realized her mistake it was nearly dust and dark storm clouds came rumbling overhead.

"Young Lady you should find cover, a terrible storms coming I figure." said an old merchant who had been walking behind her with his cart for some time now.

"Oh you're right!" Kaoru said with a shiver as the sky began to let out it's small drops. "Do you know any towns close?"

"Why yes, there's one not but a five minutes walk up this hill here, well a five minute walk for a young one like yourself." said the old man shivering himself as he slowly walked along the muddy path.

"Are you going to be okay sir?" Kaoru said sympathetically watching him shift his weight painfully with each step.

"Oh I'll be quite fine when I get home." the old man said dreamily.

"And where's that?"

"Tokyo…well that's where I was raised as a child. I haven't been there for oh…years."

"Tokyo! I must have taken the main road by mistake!"

"You must have! But no fear child for you shall stay in my son's home tonight!"

"Does he live in this village?"

"Oh yes! He will be delighted to meet such a beautiful woman as yourself!"

"Oh I couldn't." Kaoru said blushing slightly.

"Enough of this nonsense! You shall stay at my son's home for the night and it's settled!"

Kenshin had been walking all night and all morning before he stopped for a rest. He was quite sure that Junpei was not in Kyoto or anywhere near the dojo. He had not been since the night he attacked Miss Kaoru, Kenshin was sure of it. Junpei was planning something big, something that had required him to leave his quest to kill him for now. Kenshin was sure that the gang that attacked him the other night had nothing to do with Junpei.

What Kenshin couldn't figure out was Junpei's ultimate goal, he knew that Junpei wanted him dead for what he had done to him years ago, but it hurt him so to think of it. But what Kenshin could not determine no matter how hard he strained his brain to think, was what he possibly could be planning. And as the sun began to drift into the western sky, and the dark storm clouds rolled and rumbled loudly overhead, the memories of that terrible night began to seep into his mind no matter how hard he held them back.

Kenshin fell to his knees in the muddy earth, letting out a tired sigh. He put his face in his hands and tried desperately not to cry, for tears did him nothing. As the cold rain poured viciously down on his back he could almost feel Kaoru's hands on his shoulders, her sweet voice whispering in his ear, and her soft black hair dangling alongside his face. She had not done any of these things ever but he could imagine them, he could picture them in his mind. He tried desperately to think of her, instead of that night. That night where blood was like rain, the screams of the innocent were like the thunder, and each face, each terrified, screaming face flashed before his eyes like lightning.

His heart raced in his chest, faster and faster. It's thumps like those of his feet down the wet street on that bloody night. "Kenshin! Help me Kenshin!" he could still hear the voice of Junpei ringing in his ears from all those years ago.

"He was only a boy!" Kenshin screamed out as he sat pathetically in the muddy street. He looked up into the pitch black sky hopelessly, screaming to the heavens as if for mercy, "He was only a boy! He was only a boy…and I left him to die! I left them all to die…I killed them all! I killed so many!...how can anything I do repay for such sins!!!"

Filled with despair he pulled out his sword. He couldn't do this anymore, he deserved to die for what he did, but even that was not enough punishment. He took hold of it with both hands and raised it high, pointed straight at his heart. And as the tears fell down his cheeks he cried out, "I love you Kaoru."

TO BE CONTINUED


	9. Visions

Broken Hearts

Ch.9

Visions

"Kenshin no!" Kenshin heard Kaoru's voice screaming sorrowfully in the darkness as if she were there beside him.

Kenshin dropped his sword to the wet ground as if it weighed a thousand pounds. He closed his eyes painfully, emotionally exhausted. As his head fell to the earth a whisper escaped his mouth, "Kaoru…"

Kaoru and the kind old man made it to town just as the rain began to pour down on the muddy earth. "Oh you poor dears!" said a friendly old woman with a large umbrella in her hands who had obviously come out to greet them. She grasp the old man around the arm.

"Yuki you silly man leave that their Kyoji will get it." She said referring to the cart behind him. "And who is this Yuki?"

"This young lady was kind enough to accompany me into town." Yuki said with a wrinkly smile as he relinquished the heavy cart to a tall, young man.

"Well hurry now Yuki before you catch cold!" she said with a wrinkled smile on her face as well. "And you my dear, do let Kyoji take your bag for you, you look ever so tired."

"Mother…" Kaoru heard Kyoji complain childishly.

"Kyoji you listen to your mother!" Yuki laughed as he kicked him in the rear almost falling on his back in the process.

"Hmph!" was Kyoji's only response.

They finally reached the old couple's house dripping wet and cold. But Miss Miyazaki, as Kaoru was soon officially introduced to, had a hot bowl of soup in front of each of them and a warm blanket draped over each of their arms.

Kyoji turned out to be quite the joker as the night went on, and seemed to just avoid his mother's paper fan by inches. He was tall, muscular and had dark brown hair that came nearly to his shoulders and eyes that matched the cloudy midnight sky outside the warm house.

In fact Kaoru found herself lost in them at one point and Kyoji seemed to have noticed when he said, "Miss Kaoru you find me attractive?" He flexed his muscles and smiled. "I must admit I am quite sexy!"

"How dare you speak that way to a guest!" his mother said as her paper fan hit him heavily atop the head. "You're so full of yourself!"

Kaoru giggled merrily, she hadn't been this happy in a long time. "Dear Mrs. Miyazaki it's quite alright…why I haven't been this happy since Kenshin—" She stopped suddenly. How could she possibly have forgotten the whole reason she was here? The smile quickly disappeared from her face as she remembered Kenshin face.

"Miss Kaoru are you okay?" Kyoji said becoming serious for the first time that night.

"Yeah…yeah. I just need some sleep that's all."

"I'll prepare a place for you then." Said Mrs. Miyazaki as she stood up and cleared the things from the table and left the room.

"Kenshin…" Kaoru whispered as she looked out the window into the rainy sky.

Kenshin sat in the pouring rain all night looking up to the heavens for some kind of sign, a sign he didn't even expect to see. He began to shiver as the cold water seeped through his clothes and into his skin. The drops flowed down his face like the blood of all those he had killed. Those drops were his only tears, for he no tears left to cry. He could not die, and he could not live, all he could do is sit in his misery until the sun rose on another day.

"Maybe tomorrow will be better." He could hear Kaoru whisper in his ear. "Maybe tomorrow…" it repeated. He could feel her soft fingers caressing his cheek. He could nearly feel her warm lips against his.

"Maybe tomorrow…" he whispered aloud as he looked into the darkness in front of him. "If only you were here…if only I could hold you…Kaoru…"

He let his imagination run wild as her image softly kissed his lips, and wrapped its arms around his neck. "I love you Kenshin." It whispered in his ear tenderly. He closed his weary eyes hoping that this nightmare was only an endless dream.

He could feel her hand on his face, her warm soft hand wiping the rain from his eyes. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his lips. He wrapped his arms around her and let go of all his hopes. But instead of falling to the muddy earth, she held him up.

"Kaoru!" Kenshin said opening his eyes.

"No Kenshin." she said with an oddly deep voice.

"It is me!" Kaoru's image disappeared and the rain stopped. Just in front of him, in the light of the rising sun stood Junpei, sword drawn and an evil smile on his face.

TO BE CONTINUED


	10. Seduction

Broken Hearts

Ch. 10

Seduction

"I hope that you will be comfortable here tonight." the elderly woman said as she brought more blankets into the spare room where Kaoru sat looking out the window. "It looks like it will be a cold night."

"Yeah…" Kaoru responded in a daze. "I hope that Kenshin will be warm tonight." she whispered to herself.

"What is that my dear?" Mrs. Miyazaki asked tenderly.

"A friend of mine…" she said looking out into the now starry sky. "He's out there somewhere."

"Don't worry yourself Miss Kaoru. I'm sure that your friend Mr. Himura can take care of himself." she said smiling widely. "You just get some rest now."

The little woman then turned and left the room closing the door gently. Kaoru continued to stare out into the midnight sky. An aching in her heart prevented her from getting any kind of rest for hours. Finally as she lay on the cold blankets, tears flowing down her face, she closed her eyes.

But she did not rest for more than a few seconds for the door suddenly creaked open. Kaoru sat up with shock and nearly screamed. But it was only Kyoji "I'm so sorry Miss Kaoru…it's only that I heard you crying…I didn't mean to barge in…"

Kaoru sighed and looked sadly into his warm eyes. "You sound just like him."

"Who Miss Kaoru?" he said sitting on the floor a distance from her looking at her kindly through the shadowy room. But Kaoru said nothing, for the aching in her heart only worsened when she thought of him. Tears slowly started to slide down her soft cheeks again.

Kyoji inched closer to her in an effort to comfort her, but he could think of no words of which to sooth her. He simply stared at her longing to ease her pain.

"I'm sorry." Kaoru suddenly said whipping the tears from her face. "I don't mean to worry you. I'll be fine, Kyoji."

"You should never apologize for the feelings of your heart." He said quietly, slowly reaching out his hand and touching her cheek.

Kaoru gasped but did not pull back. For some reason she was paralyzed, something in his eyes seemed so sincere. "Kyoji please…"

"From the moment I looked into your eyes I knew that I would no longer want for anything. I knew that if only you would love me, for one moment, that my life would be complete." he said breathlessly.

"Kyoji…I—" she said placing her hand on his to take it from her cheek.

"Shhh…" he whispered in her ear as she closed her eyes wearily. "Just one kiss…"

"Look at you Kenshin Himura…you are a worthless and pitiful! You fall for a simple trick!" Junpei said laughing shrilly.

"Junpei!" Kenshin said struggling to stand up.

"I've been watching you Kenshin. I've been in your shadow since that night, watching your every move."

"What is it that you want Junpei? Is it my life, go ahead and take it!"

"No…not even now do you mean that…not even now when your life is meaningless, because you know perfectly well what will happen if you die, everyone you love will suffer, and they will suffer more than you ever have."

"And why is that?"

"Because all you leave behind you is pain and sorrow. All you leave behind is blood, death and all those who care for you, the way that you left me!"

"The only way I can pay for the sins of my past is to live to pay for it in the future, that is the only way that I can truly appreciate what terrible things I have done."

"Yes Kenshin you are correct…and so it shall be for the rest of your life…that you will be left alone, dying, and hated by all."

Kenshin narrowed his eyes and looked deep into Junpei's face. "What are you planning?!" Kenshin demanded.

"You shall soon know…" Junpei said in an increasingly distant voice as his image faded. "You shall soon know…"

Kenshin suddenly started, as if he had awoken from a dream, and found that his hands were covered in fresh blood. The body of an innocent girl lay twisted before him, his sword in her chest. He looked around him as the morning sunlight danced along the road, he was on the outskirts of a small town which was just beginning to wake.

Suddenly a scream came from behind him, "Help! Help! Someone get the police! Murderer! Murderer!"

TO BE CONTINUED


	11. Shattered Dreams

Broken Hearts

Ch. 11

Shattered Dreams

"Kyoji stop!" Kaoru said loudly, his lips just inches from hers.

"I see it in your eyes Kaoru, you long for love, for comfort. This Kenshin you seek obviously cannot give it to you. Why not then let me—"

"STOP!" she suddenly screamed. "Get away from me!"

He thrust his hand over her mouth to silence her cries. "Say nothing!" Kyoji whispered as his eyes glazed over with lustful madness.

Kaoru tried to scream for help but he only gripped her tighter. She flailed her arms and legs about in an attempt to through him off but he was young and strong. Suddenly she grabbed him around the neck and squeezed with all her might.

"Stop!" he yelled and slapped her across the face. Her cheek shown red with blood he laughed evilly at her, "Foolish woman!"

But he suddenly keeled over as Kaoru used her only options left, a good kick to the groin. After a moments pause he regained himself, but not before she had scrambled across the room. She was about to jump out the window and into the early morning twilight when he grabbed her around the middle and pulled her back, ripping her sleeve as he did so.

Kenshin sat in the warm pool of blood unable to move. He stared down at the girl transfixed, his heart beating painfully in his chest. She looked in every way exactly like Kaoru, except that her eyes were of a different color and her hair was more of a dark brown.

Kenshin tried to breath but the air seemed too thick to swallow, and his heart began to beat ever slower as if the sword was in his chest as well. He looked up at the reddening sky and let out a painful scream.

It was nothing to him when two large men grabbed him by the arms and dragged him down the road. He barely even noticed the crowd around him staring and shaking their heads with shame. He didn't even flinch when an officer spit in his face and mocked him. An hour later he sat in a cold cell on the stone floor of the town jail, starring off into space, the only thing keeping him from pure insanity was Kaoru's face in his mind and the memory of her sweet kiss still on his lips.

"Get the hell off of her you bastard!" came a cry from behind Kyoji as he ripped at her kimono.

"Sano!" Kaoru sighed with relief. "Thank goodness."

Before Kyoji could react Sano had thrust a blow of his fist into the back of his head and he fell to the ground. "He won't be waking up for awhile." Sano said as he looked down at the man's limp body.

"Are you okay Kaoru?!" He said helping her up.

"Oh thank goodness Sano—if you hadn't—I don't know what he would have—thank goodness you're here." she said crying into his shoulder.

He patted her softly on the head and tried to calm her. "It's okay now Kaoru, I won't let anything like that happen to you again."

"But how did you ever find me?" Kaoru said looking up into his face as she finally released his arm.

"I followed you here, it took me a couple of hours to catch up and then I was looking all over this town for you. Then I followed the screams—" he stopped as Kaoru shuddered. "Well I found you—and that's what's important."

"But what about the Miyazaki's?" Kaoru said looking out into the hall.

"Some nice friends you've got." he said as they left. "They up and left as soon as I arrived, there was a huge group heading in town around sunrise. I heard rumors about a murder, it's best we leave here as soon as possible."

"A murder?" Kaoru questioned.

"Yeah I heard some stranger was found right in the road in front of a bloody body."

"I wish you wouldn't say it so casually." Kaoru commented as they walked down the street.

"Can't trust anyone now-a-days…" Kaoru heard a woman mutter to her friend next to her in a whisper. The two were eying Sano and her nastily, "Strangers… you'd think they were raised by _animals_!"

As they got closer to town the groups got bigger and louder, everyone seemed to stick in pairs or in clusters. "Yeah I heard the guy didn't even resist arrest!" One startled man said in a passing group.

"I heard that he cried all the way there like a baby!" said another.

"What a joke!" said the first.

"Who do you suppose this man was?" Kaoru asked Sano.

"I don't know, I've heard he's some kind of wander, sort of like Kenshin, you know?" he said looking suspiciously around the street.

"…he tried to kill himself in his cell…" said a woman to another.

"No!...he wouldn't kill himself…"

"That's it! …something about an oath…what happened to his dignity1!"

Kaoru looked around her nervously, her curiosity nagging at her. Who was this man? Who had he killed? What did this all remind her of?

But her questions were soon answered as she spotted a group of policemen dragging the man out of the prison and into the street. "Kenshin Himura!" a tall policeman said to a large round one. "He's the batosai! The man that slaughtered thousands!"

The others stood in astonishment. "What?! This pathetic man is the big bag batosai?!" said the fat officer. "I could beat him to a pulp with one blow."

"You may break my body, officer, but you cannot break my spirit, that you cannot." Kenshin said angrily.

"Why don't we just break a few of your bones and see what you think then, yeh?" said the tall officer grinning widely.

"Give him a few smacks, Jiro!" he said to the large officer who joyfully obeyed. "What about know Mr. Himura? Had enough?"

"NO!" Kaoru suddenly screamed running to his side. "Leave him be!"

"Get back foolish woman!" he said slapping her across the face.

"Hey don't you touch her!" yelled Sano.

"Hey what's all this here?" asked some men passing by. "Since when are policemen aloud to slap women around! Don't we have enough crime in this place already?"

"You there!" a bulky officer yelled at the leader of the group. "You be quiet now before we teach _you_ a lesson!"

By now a large crowd had gathered around the officers. Many were mumbling angrily and a few of the larger men rubbed their fists threateningly. But the officers did not back down and instead drew their swords on the crowd.

"Any citizen who threatens an officer shall be punished severely!" said the tall man who the other's referred to as Captain. "Now back off we've got a criminal here to punish!"

"That's the murderer!" screamed a woman in the crowd suddenly.

"That's right!" said the Captain joyfully. "And we're going to teach him a lesson for his crime."

At this he lunged at Kenshin but was blocked, once again by Kaoru. "You won't touch him!"

"Kaoru no! Please, Kaoru, please don't!" Kenshin begged her.

She turned to him and looked into his eyes. "If this is the last thing I do, I must do it Kenshin—"

But her words were interrupted as she fell to a heap on the ground, a strong blow to her head had knocked her off her feet. "I told you to leave!" the Captain yelled at her unconscious body.

"And now Mr. Himura, you get what you deserve!" he drew his sword and held it up into the air ready to strike upon his neck with a deadly blow.

TO BE CONTINUED

1 Just in case you didn't already know, when threatened with defeat or death, in Japanese culture, the honorable thing to do—is to kill yourself!


	12. The Truth Comes Out

Broken Hearts

Ch. 12

The Truth Comes Out

"What's going on here?" came a voice from behind the Captain.

"Oh, General Miyazowa!" the Captain said letting his upheld sword drop to his side.

"I did not know that any executions had been ordered Captain." the General said questioningly as he stepped toward him his hands resting calmly behind his back, as if he was on an evening stroll.

"No General, Sir." the Captain said respectively but nervously.

"This man was trying to escape!" Jiro lied trying to protect his friend.

"He did not!" Sano said indignantly.

"Please calm yourself Sir." the General said patiently to Sano and then turned angrily on the Captain. "And why is this poor woman lying in the street?!"

"She was trying to set him free!" the Captain said trying to make excuses.

"And do you suppose that she was much of a threat to a group of men?" the General asked all the more seriously as he bent down to examine the wounds on her face.

"This woman has obviously already been hit today." He said moving the hair carefully from her face. "I was asked to find this woman, a young Mr. Miyazaki came to me. He said that she may be hurt."

"That bastard tried to—"

"I know perfectly well what he tried to do." the General said calmly. "He told me everything. Now you two help this woman up and get a doctor." He said pointing to two large men in the crowd. He then turned and looked into Kenshin's face.

"You are truly a good man." Kenshin said quietly as the officer's finally let go of his arms.

"And so are you…" said the General in a strangely sad voice. "I've heard lots about you Mr. Himura, both good and bad, but I do not believe that you could have killed my daughter."

The crowd all gasped and stared at the General transfixed. He continued, "Yes, my daughter was the girl who was killed. But she was a sad and lonely girl, who took her own life."

There was a silence all about the crowd as he continued unwaveringly, "I was a witness to the incident myself, and am truly to blame for her death, for no matter what I did I could not relieve the sorrow that ruled her heart…" he grew silent and looked off into the sky.

"Why must he be jailed then?!" Sano said angrily.

"Have you no respect—" one of the men in the crowd yelled but was cut off as the General raised his hand for silence.

"It's okay Mr. Kosaka…because Mr. Himura, although is not responsible for her death, is, however, responsible for the removal of her body from my home and the disgracing of her body in the street!" This last sentence was the only bit of emotion that flickered in his voice.

Kaoru sat silently outside Kenshin's cell looking down at the ground sadly. Kenshin was silent as well, and had been for quite some time, as he looked out the window distractedly. But neither of them were really distracted, each yearning to hear the other's story, but too tired and ashamed to say another word.

Finally Kaoru asked breathlessly. "Kenshin?"

"Yes?" he said looking at her sorrowfully.

"That girl…what happened…"

He was silent for a long time and then decided to start from the beginning. "I tried to end all my pain…I tried to but I couldn't…I kept seeing your face…and then it was as if you were really there…I could feel you there…"

There was a long pause with a nervous glance into each other's eyes. Kenshin shed no tears but Kaoru knew that his heart was breaking. "I'll never leave you ever again…" she whispered as she reached her hand inside the cell.

Kenshin looked down at her hand and smiled. "I know you'll try." He reached out his hand to touch her face tenderly but she suddenly jerked back. Suddenly Kyoji was grabbing her again, she couldn't breathe, or barely think. She would have screamed but his hands were tightly around her neck.

"Kaoru! Kaoru what is it? What's wrong?" Kenshin said looking at her worriedly.

"I just—" she stuttered pulling back from him. "I can't…"

Kenshin looked into her eyes. "Something happened to you. That man, Miyazaki did something to you!" Kenshin said with rage.

Tears started to stream down her face. She couldn't even stand him to touch her, the only one who could possible comfort her. "I'm so sorry!" she said bursting in tears. "I'm so sorry."

"Kaoru please don't cry…I don't think I can bear anymore tears…"

Kaoru lay down wearily on the cold floor outside his jail cell looking in on him with a meek smile. "As long as I'm with you I no longer need to cry."

Kaoru did not leave the cold floor of the jail for nearly two days. Sano had to bring food, and blankets to her, because she was so determined. But finally on the third day Kenshin convinced her to go outside for a while.

"You're looking awful this morning." he had blurted out suddenly as she awoke.

"Kenshin!" she yelled at him angrily trying to hit him with some chopsticks.

He dodged them and laughed, "At least you're yourself again, that you are!"

Kaoru walked out into the sunlight for the first time in days to see the same busy streets as before. The town jail was on the edge of the Square which was outlined by shops, restaurants and markets, selling everything from seawater salmon to rare jewels and metals.

She looked around her with a smile, maybe things weren't too bad. General Miyazowa had taken a liking to Kenshin, he admired his character, and didn't seem to think anymore that he was responsible for the disgracing of his daughter's body, although it was evident that he wasn't about to admit it to the town. Kaoru wondered how Junpei had even gotten past the General in the first place; he was a cautious man after all.

Presently Kaoru had wandered to the edge of the town to the road, where a glistening stream crept by and added a faint sense of music to the street. The chatter of the Square faded away as Kaoru hummed quietly. She looked onto the silvery surface of the water at her reflection, sadly Kenshin had been right, she looked awfully tired and messy.

She kneeled down and dipped her hands into the cool water, carefully washing her face and smoothing out her hair with her hands. Soon she was lost in thought, washing her feet and legs and humming with a new sense that it would all be alright. She looked up into the bright summer sky, she could see Kenshin's smile in every fluffy cloud.

"Kaoru!" a voice suddenly came from behind her as a hand was placed on her shoulder. She jolted and splashed into the stream. Sano almost keeled over with laughter. "If you wanted to take a bath you could have just gone to the bathhouse!"

But he stopped suddenly, she wasn't trying to slap him with something, or yelling, no less laughing. "Are you okay Kaoru?" He said touching her shoulder again softly.

"Don't touch me!" she said suddenly.

He was silent for a moment, then decided to blow it off. "Well I brought you something to eat."

"Since when did you have any money?" Kaoru said standing up and sounding perfectly normal.

"I won some in a card game."

"Yeah right, you stink at gambling games!" she said taking the box from his hands.

"I do not!" Sano said indignantly.

"You got it from Kenshin didn't you?"

"Oh be quiet."

TO BE CONTINUED


	13. Three Scarred Hearts

Broken Hearts

Ch.13

Three Scarred Hearts

"Kenshin help me!" came a frightened scream from behind him. Kenshin swerved around as he reached the shelter of the dark forest.

A young boy about 15 or 16 was calling out his name as two large masked figures pulled him through the mud by his arms. He kicked furiously at ground and flailed his arms uselessly. Tears were streaming down his bruised and bloody face.

"Shut up boy!" yelled one of the large men.

"I think he's gone mad!" whispered the other one. "There's no one out here but us."

"Not exactly." said the other uneasily as he looked at the mess around him. Dozens of bloody bodies covered the ground, the steady rain washing the crimson blood into the streets.

Kenshin with horror watched as they kicked the boy violently in the head when he screamed once again. He hesitated, he was unarmed, what could he do? Just as he was about to come out from the shadows he heard voices to his left.

"I want these bodies cleaned up before sunrise! And you four over there, you look for who ever else is responsible for this!" said a graying officer to a group around him.

"But General we don't have enough manpower to find such people. There had to have been at least a dozen." said a small captain.

"I don't care how many people we do or don't have! I want you ever is responsible!" the General said loudly.

So the group split up, four went into the forest, two went north up the street and four or five started to clean up the mess. Kenshin slipped back into the shadows and headed to the south. Suddenly there was a scream in the distance, a scream of the boy.

"JUNPEI!" Kenshin screamed as he woke up with cold sweat dripped down his face, the dark forest fading away as the dark room replaced it.

"Kenshin are you okay!" said Kaoru next to him.

He breathed heavily looking around him confused. "It was just dream…" Kaoru said in a soothing voice. "You're okay now…"

Kenshin let out a relieved sigh looked up into Kaoru's concerned face. He smiled gently, she looked so beautiful in the moonlight. Kaoru tried to smile back, "You are okay, right Kenshin? You were shaking and mumbling…"

"I'm fine…" he said quietly holding her hand gratefully. "…now."

Kaoru searched his eyes curiously, wondering what could possibly be going on in that mind of his. She knew something was troubling him, something deep and dark. "I wish you would tell me what's bothering you." she said touching his cheek softly.

"There are some things about me that you don't want to know…now matter how much you love me…" he said quietly shifting his gaze out the window.

"But you're wrong…" Kaoru said gently turning his face to look at hers. "I want to know everything about…no matter how painful."

"Kaoru…you don't." he said trying to avoid looking into her tearing eyes.

She wrapped her arms around him. "Seeing you hurting is more painful than anything you could possibly tell me." She looked into his eyes, finally meeting his glance. "From the day I met you my life's been filled with pain and disappointments, but I wouldn't do a second of it differently even if I could. I love you Kenshin, more than anything or anyone in the world."

He whipped the tears tenderly from her eyes, "You've already sacrificed so much for me Kaoru—"

She put her fingers to his lips. "Shhh…" She kissed him tenderly.

Kenshin closed his eyes dreamily, wrapped up in her embrace. He ran his fingers through her silky hair. Kaoru looked up into his face with a smile holding his hand in hers. He kissed her again, his sweet taste on her lips. Her heart beat wildly as his slender fingers touched her soft skin affectionately.

"NO!" she suddenly screamed, the terrible image of Kyoji taking over her consciousness, she scrambled backwards, sobbing.

"Kaoru it's me…" he said softly reaching out for her slowly.

"NO! STOP! PLEASE DON'T"

"Is she any better?" Sano asked with a strange amount of concern in his voice after he swallowed a large gulp of stew.

"I don't know, that I do not." Kenshin said shaking his head slightly.

"I should've killed that Kyoji when I had the chance." Sano said angrily slamming his cup on the table and attracting the attention of the surrounding tables.

Kenshin ignored him. "Perhaps Miss Megumi would know what to do?" he said more to himself than to Sano.

"What use is that woman?" Sano said loudly gulping down another drink.

"Sano where is Yahiko?" Kenshin asked suddenly.

"Probably stomping around somewhere, he's kind of upset with me for leaving him all alone at the dojo. Then he complains about having to march all the way out here to find me, the little brat!" he laughed.

"I think from now we should stick together. I have a feeling that Junpei will be turning up around here soon." He said standing up, leaving the restaurant.

"Oh hey Kenshin!" came a familiar voice from his left. Yahiko came running up to him happily. "Where you been all this time eh?"

"Let's just say he hit a little bump in the road!" General Miyazowa's voice came from behind Kenshin as his hand slapped down on his shoulder.

Yahiko looked at him strangely then turned to Kenshin. "The villagers were all saying you were in jail, they're lying right?"

"I'm afraid they weren't." said the General with a smile. "But they had the wrong man, that's for sure." he turned to Kenshin. "Thanks again Kenshin!"

"What's he talking about?" Yahiko asked as the General walked away.

"Let's just say that Kenshin did a little work in order to gain the General's trust." Sano laughed as they walked down the streets.

The three of them walked past a field where a group of officers were practicing some familiar moves with wooden training swords. "You taught them Hiten Misurugi!" Yahiko asked surprised.

"Hardly!" Kenshin laughed. "The real thing takes years of practice, that it does. What I taught them Kaoru or even you could do."

The three of them walked away laughing. "They must have been pretty awful before!" they kidded with each other.

TO BE CONTINUED

Reader's Extra:

Kaoru's Song

(A Poem)

I still remember our first kiss,

The warmth of it upon my lips,

I still remember the tear I saw in your eye,

How good it felt to feel your chest against mine.

I know how it makes me so weak,

The way you look at me when you touch my cheek,

I know the way that my heart beats wild

When you whisper those words so tender and mild.

But the horror that night has scarred me deep,

The images in my dreams leave me feeling so weak,

And the horror of that night has not gone away,

Even with all the comforting words you say.


	14. Broken Hearts

Broken Hearts

Ch. 14

Broken Hearts

"NO! STOP! PLEASE DON'T!" Those words still echoed painfully in Kenshin's ears as he looked down at Kaoru sleeping peacefully in the sunlight beside him.

They had been picnicking on the edge of the river all day and Kenshin was the only one not napping sleepily on the sweat summer grass. In fact both Sano and Yahiko were snoring loudly, and Yahiko's feet were still dangling limply in the silvery water.

Kenshin let out a quiet sigh and looked about him. Finally he was getting the peace that he had wanted for so long, but he wasn't enjoying it nearly as much as he thought he would. The image of Kaoru's tearstained face still broke his heart like a shattering piece of glass.

He stood up and walked toward the river, the musical sound of water over rocks bouncing around him. He looked down into his shimmering reflection; he put a hand to the cross-shaped scar that so cruelly marked his cheek. It was only the outer expression of his tattered heart.

He starred at it angrily; the one reminder of a past he wished only to leave behind him. Kaoru may not fear him, but she feared what he was—even if she didn't know it. He thought again of leaving her, to end her pain. But he knew that she would only follow him once more, even if it killed her.

Kenshin lost track of time as he wondered miserably down the winding river. He was lost in a weary daydream of yesterdays when suddenly a noise behind him caused him to draw his sword defensively. It was exactly who he both expected and who he feared would come again.

"Hello again." said Junpei cruelly. "I see you've managed to escape my elaborate plan!"

"I'd say it wasn't all that elaborate, that I would!" Kenshin said his eyes narrowing on his enemy instinctively.

"It was merely—a test!" Junpei fumbled.

"Was it really? Did I pass?" Kenshin said in an unusually sarcastic voice.

"How dare you mock me!" Junpei said pointing his long sword at Kenshin's face. "You shall pay for that remark!"

"I don't want to hurt you Junpei." Kenshin said regaining his patients.

"Yes you do!" Junpei spat at him. "Why wouldn't you now that your life is hell!"

"You know what I have sworn!" Kenshin said loudly. "I want only to protect, never to kill!"

"Do I sense anger in your voice Kenshin?" Junpei said circling him slowly with intense eyes glaring at him. "Yes I think I do. Perhaps what you say is not all that true? …I mean how could it, for you know perfectly well that I am the cause for all this!"

Kenshin stared at him his fists clenching tightly but he said nothing, so Junpei continued. "Yes…" he said a sound of pride in his voice, "It was I who created that fear that swells in your heart every time you hear a noise. It was I who tore the innocence from your beloved, it was I who robbed you of your freedom and your creditability! And it was I who have taken that one thing from you that had kept you sane all these years!"

At this he let out an insane laugh, high and cruel. "NOW YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!" He screamed. "Every moment of your miserable life you shall pay for what you did to me!

"Every time you look into her eyes you know it's true…every time she cries you know that you can never stop her pain…every time you breathe you know that even death could not bring relief!"

Suddenly Kenshin screamed with rage and raising his sword lunged at Junpei, but he did not miss like that first night, his blade came swiftly down into his left shoulder, blood splashing on his face. As Junpei let out a scream Kenshin fell to his knees dropping his weapon.

"What's the use…" he whispered to himself.

"Yes!" Junpei said excitedly. "Yes…what is the use? For even if you kill me your relief shall not come!"

Kenshin looked painfully up into the sky, the sunset painting a crimson canvas across the heavens, tears flowing down his cold cheeks. Junpei, his arm still bleeding terribly, continued to mock him as he looked down at him pathetically.

"Yes…" Junpei said joyfully. "Sit there in your misery! Sit there while every drop of hope bleeds from your veins! While every piece of your shattered hearts throbs in pain! Sit there and waste away…just as I did!

"For seven years I sat in that cold prison…seven years!" he screamed at him angrily. "I wasted away for seven miserable years! I watched as my family was robbed of their dignity, my whole town was overrun, my sisters rapped and murdered, my younger brothers sold as slaves!"

For the first time ever Kenshin could sense the misery in his voice. He looked up sympathetically but Junpei only smacked him hatefully. "You show me sympathy now! Now, when my life is already gone, the one I love, the only one I _ever_ loved, is gone!"

"What then Junpei…what should I do?" Kenshin asked miserably.

"There is NOTHING!" he screamed to the heavens madly.

Kenshin stood up slowly and looked into his eyes with intensity. "Yes there is nothing, nothing to stop the pain of the past but to live for the future…" Junpei looked up at him angrily but Kenshin continued. "Sadly I left you to die on that night, too afraid of my own safety to rescue you…but there is nothing I can do about it now, as there is nothing I can do to pay for every other terrible sin I committed… except…to live to serve and protect those of today."

"ENOUGH!" Junpei scream thrusting his sword deep into Kenshin's stomach. Kenshin winced in awesome pain and blood gurgled from his mouth.

"NO!" Kaoru screamed running through the darkening shadows towards his limp body. She reached him, tears dripping onto his bloody face. "Kenshin please…please don't leave me…"

"Kaoru…" he whispered his eyes drooping. "…I …"

"Shh…" She said pulling him up into her arms.

Junpei looked madly down at the two, his eyes wide with fear and anguish. "Why do you still stay beside his side!" he said. "Why don't you leave him…like they all left m—"

But he fell to his knees before he finished and broke down crying. He dropped his sword and his arms hung loose at his sides for a moment as he wept. Then he reached down at his side an unsheathed a long dagger and raising it slowly above his head he looked up towards the starry night sky for the last time.

"And with my death I am release—" but he was cut off as the dagger swiftly shot into his hearts and he fell to the earth.

TO BE CONTINUED!


	15. Happy Endings

Broken Hearts

Ch. 15

Happy Endings

"Kaoru…I …" Kenshin struggled to whisper as he looked up into her eyes with a struggled smile.

"You're going to be fine…" Kaoru whispered gently among tears of concern as she wrapped his bleeding stomach tightly.

He reached his hand up toward her meekly, she closed her eyes peacefully as his touched her cheek. "Kaoru…I'm sorry…"

"For what?" she said confused.

"That I wasn't there to save you…" he said looking away from her with shame. "That I can't be the man you need."

"Don't be silly Kenshin!" she said worryingly. "Of course you're the man I need."

"I'm—" he winced painfully. "—not."

Tears began to stream down her face, "You couldn't be more wrong! All I ever wanted—all I ever needed—was you!"

"I know you think that but—"

"Junpei was wrong!" she suddenly interrupted. "If anything I love you more!"

"But why…all I've done is bring you pain!"

"But you're wrong Kenshin, you've given my life meaning, you've given me hopes and dreams. But more than that you've held through to every promise you've made, you've held on to life at any cost. You've never once thought of yourself but of everyone else! How could I not love you?"

"But…"

She put her fingers to his lips. "Shh…" and then looked deeply into his eyes smiling happily. "I love you Kenshin…"

An aching in Kenshin's heart throbbed, "I've been longing just to hold you in my arms…"

"You can hold me as long as you want." She said before kissing him softly on the lips. "Anytime you want."

Three Weeks Later

"Come on out Kenshin!" Kaoru called through the door.

"Umm…maybe not…" Kenshin said his voice quavering slightly.

"What, are you going to sleep in the washroom all night?" Kaoru insisted angrily.

"It's rather a nice place actually!" he said changing the subject nervously.

"Kenshin if you can't even get used to being in bed with me at the Inn how are you going to get used to it at the dojo!"

"Um…"

"Kenshin if you're not out here in three seconds I'm going to beat down this door!"

"Okay! Okay!" Kenshin said reluctantly.

"I mean it's our honeymoon for Pete's sake!" Kaoru said crawling under the blankets and waiting for Kenshin to come in. "What's the big deal anyway?"

He came sliding into the room bandages hanging loose from his belly. "It still hurts; I don't think I'll go to sleep yet."

"Oh come over here you big baby!" Kaoru said laughing.

He sat down unwillingly beside her; wincing as she tightened his bandages. "Ow!" he said painfully. "Not so tight!"

"Oh be quiet!" Kaoru nearly giggled. "You know you're such a baby when it comes to being hurt."

"Only when you're the one taking care of me."

"What's that supposed to mean!"

He laid back and wrapped his arm around her, "Maybe I like it when you treat me special."

"You mean like a bab—"

"Shh…" he whispered pulling her close. "Goodnight Mrs. Kenshin Himura…"

"Goodnight Mr. Kenshin Himura…"

THE END

(P.S.)

"Ha ha ha!"

"What's so funny!"

"They actually think we're going to go to sleep!"

"Then what are we going to do?"

"Kenshin you're so silly!"

"Hey! Don't touch me there!"

"Why not!"

"It hurts!"

"How about here?"

"No…"

"How about here!"

"KAORU!"

"He he he!"

BUT WAIT? COULD THERE POSSIBLY BE MORE!

JUST MAYBE! COMING SOON:

**_A WANDERER'S SWORD: A SEQUEL TO 'BROKEN HEARTS'_**


	16. Chapter One of A Wanderer's Sword: A Seq...

A Wanderer's Sword:

A Sequel to "Broken Hearts"

Ch. 1

Blue Skies

Author Alerts:

I don't own anything to do with Rurouni Kenshin, so don't have a cow or sue me or something!

Also, this IS a sequel so to any new readers: Go Back and Read "Broken Hearts!" Any of my old readers, I'm sure, would agree that it's 'tres bon!' (That's French for: Very Good!)

Kenshin looked up into the starry heavens, sighing slightly; his breath swirling in a silver cloud before his pale face. The full moon shined brightly upon the backyard of the silent dojo, casting an ominous light upon the turning leaves. It was oddly cold for this part of the country, especially this early in the autumn, and he shivered a little as a breeze tossed his hair.

He glanced behind him as the last light went out inside. He sighed once more; Kaoru and he had not been getting along too well, recently. He closed his eyes with frustration, it was like a dream that he was struggling to hold onto, begging the sun to wait just a little longer. He felt distant from her, as if there was some sort of wall between them, miles away in fact.

She had been spending most of her time training Yahiko and trying to avoid him. He wished he could just work up the nerve to ask her what was wrong but he was too polite to do so. Yet that didn't change the fact that he felt alone, and it had only been two weeks since they got back from their honeymoon.

Kenshin tried to think back, could there possibly be something that he had done? He clenched his fists weakly, fighting the oh-so-familiar aching in his heart. He would do anything to make Kaoru happy, even if it meant he had to feel lonely for a while…but was that really what she needed?

"Kenshin…I just want to be alone for a while…" he remembered her saying the other day.

"Yes…okay…I'll just…go finish the laundry…" he said retreating like a puppy with its tail between its legs.

Things had been so wonderful in the beginning. He thought back to the weeks before they got married. He had been healing from a battle; she never left his side. He thought back to one night in particular where they were laying together on the sweet summer grass looking up the same starry sky.

"Kenshin?" she asked all of a sudden.

"Yes, Kaoru?" he whispered blissfully in her ear.

"I want to be with you always…"

"Me too…"

She kissed him tenderly and wrapped his long crimson hair around her fingers. "You won't leave me will you?"

He was quiet for a while then answered quietly, "Only if you wished me to."

"But I would never want you to!" she said with surprise looking deep into his eyes. She wrapped her arms around him, "Nothing makes me happier than to be in your arms."

He breathed deep the perfume of her hair, her soft skin against his. "Marry me Kaoru…"

"Really!" she asked looking into his face questioningly.

He said nothing but kissed her passionately, his actions stronger than words. The feel of her skin, and hair, the taste of her kiss and the warmth of her body against his, stayed engraved in his memory even until this moment he stood alone. He could of screamed, for the agony that her rejection put upon his heart. She was so close, yet so far away.

Kaoru sat in the dark room alone, staring out at Kenshin's shadowy figure in the back lawn. Her soft cheeks were tearstained and her eyes were slightly puffy. She could see he was as lonely as she was, standing out in the cold autumn wind. Her heart ached painfully in her chest as she saw him clench his fists angrily. She hated herself for not being able to come out and comfort him, there was just something holding her back.

She had told him to leave her alone, but this was the last thing she wanted. For some reason fear had taken her over. She was so scared that he would leave her that she pushed him away with all her might.

"But that doesn't make any sense!" she yelled at herself suddenly. She became silent as she saw Kenshin look inside. 'It's too late for me to push him away!' she thought angrily to herself. 'I'm breaking his heart.'

She thrust her fists at her blankets with aggravation; it had been going so perfect before. She thought back to the night before the wedding, they had been so in love.

"You're shaking Kaoru." He whispered in her ear as she looked outside into the sunny garden.

She spoke over her shoulder as he placed his hands caringly upon her shoulders. "I guess I'm just nervous."

"I am too, that I am." he said breathlessly.

She turned around and looked lovingly into his gorgeous eyes. "I'm really going to get to spend the rest of my life with you?"

"Do you really have to ask?" he smiled.

"No…I suppose not."

He kissed her tenderly and gently wrapped her up in his arms, his heart to hers. "Every day will be perfect." He promised obliviously.

"Kaoru…I—just wondered whether—No that won't work!" Kenshin said punching the wall angrily. "What am I supposed to say! …What am I supposed to do!"

He looked angrily up at the moon, as if it was to blame for his troubles. "I promised her that every day would be perfect! …I can't even ask her what's wrong!"

He fell to his knees with exhaustion, "I'm just so scared…"

"Me too…" he heard Kaoru's voice come from behind him. He turned abruptly to see Kaoru kneeling beside him. She fell wearily into his arms. "Everyday _has_ been perfect, only I've ruined it all!"

"No you haven't!" Kenshin said comfortingly. "It just hurt to see you so alone."

"I…I was just so scared…so scared that you'd leave me…" she sobbed into his shoulder.

"I promised you Kaoru, that I would not leave you unless you told me to." Kenshin said lifting her head so she was forced to look him in the face.

"I told you to go away…to leave me alone…but what I really wanted—what I really needed was for you to…" she stopped and looked into his eyes.

"It's cold…" he said watching her shiver "Why don't we go inside…"

They slowly made their way inside wrapped up in each other's arms. Kenshin lay down on the blankets looking up into her eyes as she sat looking down into his. Kaoru slowly took off his kimono, revealing the dark scar across his stomach he had gotten only a month ago.

"I'm so sorry Kenshin." she said as she touched his cheek lovingly. "I'm sorry I was so afraid…"

"Shh…" he said as she placed her head down on his chest listening to his heart beating wildly.

"I love you so much…" she said wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love you too Kaoru…" he said running his fingers through her silky hair. His hand slowed as his eyes closed sleepily.

"Please don't stop…" she said dreamily. But his warm arms around her and the steady beat of his heart against her ear slowly sung her to sleep.

LOOK FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER IN:

A WANDERER'S SWORD: A SEQUAL TO "BROKEN HEARTS"


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